HUNTED: Reunion
by StartTheResistance
Summary: Set right after Season 9, details Jay and Nya's reunion followed by Skylor and Kai finally getting their act together.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I originally intended for this to be one chapter for Jaya and one chapter for Skylor/Kai, but I ended up with wayyyyy too many words, so I'm going to be splitting the Jaya portion up and will probably make a new story for the Skylor/Kai story. They deserve some development anyway.

I am attempting to fix the formatting... I hate how FF removes all formatting!

* * *

Nya didn't know her parents well enough yet to know if she had gotten her stubbornness from her mother or her father. She did know, however, that her brother had inherited it too, and that she was sure that this trait was keeping him alive at this very moment. Kai was way too stubborn to be dead.

And Jay. Her sweet Jay. Definitely too smart and too resourceful to be dead.

Nya's connections with both her brother and the love of her life had convinced her that despite their disappearance, the two most important men in her life were alive. Maybe not well, but alive. She simply knew it in her heart, and nothing anyone could say would change her mind.

So the moment that portal in the sky started to swirl, Nya knew who would be coming through it. She was relieved, ecstatic, and vindicated. She looked over at Lloyd who gave her an apologetic smirk and the pair sat Skylor down in a safe spot so that they could greet their friends.

Lloyd had beaten her to the guys as they jumped down from their dragons, but Nya wasn't paying any attention to anyone but Jay. Nya had stopped in her tracks, a few yards away from Jay, tears overwhelming her as she laughed and sobbed at the same time. "I knew it!" she yelled to him as he ran toward her.

Before she knew it, he had scooped her up and was spinning her around in a circle, his face buried in her hair. "I knew it," she said again as he sat her down on the ground, "I knew you were alive!"

"I thought about you every second of the day that I wasn't trying to avoid being killed by dragons," he choked out, pulling her close to him, "I missed you so much, Nya. So much."

She could tell he was a little worse for wear and made a note to baby him when they were able to get back to headquarters. She didn't care one bit that he was sweaty and stinky; she'd been with him plenty of times during extended missions and unplanned disasters.

"I love you, Jay," she whispered in his ear, touching his face and giving him a quick but meaningful kiss.

"I wish we could spend all night like this, but I think we need to go destroy this rock monster thing," he whispered back with a laugh, "but remind me to tell you I love you at least thousand times when this is over." He leaned his forehead down to hers and closed his eyes for just a second, a sweet smile crossing his lips as he let out a sigh. He and Nya were back together; it didn't matter how many dragons or giant rock creatures tried to kill him as long as they were together.

* * *

They were bloodied and bruised, limping back to headquarters silently in the dark, unsure if they'd won or had simply put off Ninjago's destruction for a few days. Garmadon's final warnings to Lloyd had disturbed the ninja and they looked to Wu for guidance. "Whatever is coming, we will meet it head on as we always do," he said cryptically.

"Wow, what a way to celebrate our return!" Jay said sarcastically, throwing his hands in the air. Everyone else glanced at each other nervously.

"Ninja, do not borrow worries from tomorrow. Tonight is a night for rest. And reunions," he added, looking to Jay and Nya. She blushed but Wu consoled her with a smile and a wave of his hand. "I was young and in love once," Wu whispered to the pair, "Or twice, I should say."

Jay and Nya chuckled as the rest of the ninja shuffled past them. Kai stopped to hug his sister and she snuggled into his arms with a few more tears. "She says she knew we were still alive," Jay said to Kai, patting the other's shoulder as he continued to hug his sister.

"Well, you know how stubborn she is," Kai said with an eye roll and the two guys laughed.

"I'll get you back in training tomorrow, Kai!" she yelled, her voice muffled by Kai's stinky gi, "go take a shower, you smell!"

"So does Jay!" Kai retorted.

"I like the way he smells!" she said, pushing away from him as Jay cackled hysterically at the siblings.

Thankfully for everyone's noses, their newest headquarters location had several bathrooms with showers. Poor Lloyd had been the last to shower and was left with zero hot water. Nya heard him scream from the upstairs bathroom and snickered. "He's making a big deal out of some cold water," she said, helping Jay and Cole load the washing machine.

"No, he's probably screaming over the fake spiders I put in that shower," Cole said matter-of-factly.

"Honestly…" Nya said, tossing the last of the laundry in as Jay set the machine's dials, "I missed all of your practical jokes. Lloyd is a party pooper."

"Awwww," Jay and Cole laughed.

Zane and PIXAL made the group a fantastic late night dinner of handmade ramen while Skylor brought puffy potstickers from the restaurant. It was nearly 2 am by the time they left the dinner table, slowly scattering to their own beds.

Jay took Nya's hand and lead her out to the garage, climbing the spiral staircase to the rooftop deck. He had grabbed a blanket on the way and spread it out on the soft grass that Misako had planted the summer before. Occasional fireworks sparkled in the sky and the moon hung low, glowing a warm golden color.

Jay pulled Nya close to him and she rested her head on his arm, nestling her forehead against his cheek. She felt the tears threatening to spill again and smiled up at Jay, who had suspiciously watery eyes as well. "Are you crying?" he whispered, touching her face.

"No, are you?" she smiled, a tear making its way down her cheek and onto Jay's arm.

"Not at all," he laughed, taking a quick swipe at his eye with his free arm.

They laughed for a few seconds as more tears spilled from their eyes and onto each other.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't get you a message before we used the Traveller's Tea," he sniffled, pulling her closer to him.

"I knew, Jay. I'm telling you, I was sure. No one believed me, not even Lloyd. But I didn't care, because I knew you were coming back," she said, a tinge of anger in her voice. He wasn't sure he should ask her to go over what had happened, but he knew it would come up eventually. Maybe they could save that for another day.

They were silent for a few minutes, holding each other close and watching the intermittent fireworks that the citizens of Ninjago were still shooting off in celebration.

"How is your shoulder?" Jay whispered.

Nya growled for a moment and rubbed her aching left shoulder. She had mostly forgotten about it due to thr distraction of their reunion, but she couldn't deny that it didn't exactly feel good.

"Not terrible... but not good," she sighed.

"I'll text PIXAL. Maybe she can bring you something," Jay said, pulling out his phone. He sat up and Nya rested her head in his lap, deciding not to argue with him. After a few taps, Jay sat his phone down beside him on the blanket and leaned down to kiss Nya on the forehead.

PIXAL was quick to bring supplies, carrying an ice pack, some pain medication, and a bottle of water.

"I hope I wasn't interrupting," Jay said, accepting the supplies while wiggling his eyebrows at PIXAL.

"Not at all, Jay. Zane and I were watching the news reports from today," PIXAL responded pleasantly.

"Uh-huh," Jay said with a wink.

"Jay!" Nya snickered, "thank you for the meds, Doc."

PIXAL waved with a smile and hurried back down the stairs to reunite with Zane.

"You're awful," Nya said, unable to hold back another snicker.

"Come on, I wouldn't be nearly this attractive if I weren't so funny!" He teased.

Sitting up to take the medicine from his hand, Nya said, "you know I always like you best when you are yourself."

"Uhhhh, speaking of that... if the guys tell you about me going crazy the first few days we were in the First Realm... well, I did," Jay rattled off while Nya was busy taking a drink.

She coughed a little and then looked him in the eye as he smiled nervously. Her expression softened and she leaned foreward to touch his cheek. "I don't blame you," she whispered, "it was a really rough time."

He laid back down and she followed, laying on her side to balance the bag of ice on her hurt shoulder. Neither talked, simply closing their eyes and breathing in the other's presence, eventually falling asleep on the rooftop under the stars.

* * *

Nya awoke the next morning in her bed, alone and still in her clothes from the previous night save her shoes, which had been removed and placed in the corner of her room.

She glanced around for a moment and found her phone plugged in to the charger and a note on her bedside table.

"Dear Nya,

Master Wu sent Kai and I on a quick mission early this morning, but we will be back late tonight. Nothing dangerous he said, but fireboy's ego can make a grocery trip dangerous. You should rest your shoulder today.

I would have stayed last night, but Zane saw me carry you to your room and I wasn't sure I wanted Kai finding out. Anyways, I'm rambling as usual. Writing love notes is hard!

I love you x 1000 and I will see you late tonight.

Jay"


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I'm hoping that this formatting is a bit better than the first chapter. It's always such a struggle to put in line breaks, which the upload tools eat. I appreciate the reviews so far and I hope that you're enjoying the story! I'm brainstorming the Kai/Skylor version and I hope to start writing that one soon.  
**

* * *

 _Let's rewind about a week…_

Jay and Kai sat slumped uncomfortably in the cage on the back of the Dragon Hunter vehicle as it bumped through the desert; dusk was approaching.

"Do you think they're okay? Back at home?" Jay asked Kai quietly.

Kai knew exactly who he meant, so he responded with a small smile. "I'm sure she's fine, Jay. Probably going crazy missing me. And you too." Kai winked and elbowed Jay with a smile.

Jay was silent for a moment. "Do you think we will ever get back home?"

Kai wasn't sure if he preferred the crazy and calm Jay or the original and less secure Jay. But he couldn't act like he didn't understand; his mind had been on Skylor since they had arrived in the First Realm. Regret for not trying harder to go see her. Sadness that their relationship hadn't progressed as far as it could have. Hoping she was safe in what must be a very unsafe Ninjago.

"I do," Zane chimed in. He regarded his brothers for a moment before continuing, "the odds are against us, but I have learned not to trust the odds."

Jay and Kai looked at each other with smiles.

"Soooooooooo, Kai…" Jay began, "since Zane is sure that we're going to make it back home… um, how much will you hate me if I ask your sister to marry me?"

Kai responded with a laugh, "I'm surprised you haven't already asked her."

Jay laughed along with him, the color returning to his face. "So I'll take that as a 'welcome to the family'?"

"You know that she's going to do whatever she wants to do, regardless of what anyone says about it. You don't need to ask me or anyone else," Kai said, "just her."

They were silent for a moment as Kai pondered. "But if you really want to impress our parents, you should go to the blacksmith shop and forge a ring for her. Mom used to make jewelry for all of the people in Ignacia."

"It's a plan," Jay said.

* * *

Jay yawned, hauling himself into the passenger seat of Nya's tank (they hadn't named it yet.) Kai hopped into the driver seat, well rested compared to Jay.

"I brought donuts!" Kai said cheerfully, starting up the vehicle.

Jay groaned, his stomach full of nervous butterflies. "No thanks, man."

Kai chuckled and shook his head. "You're nervous, aren't you?!"

"Shut up," Jay growled.

Kai had called his parents to let them know he was coming to visit and bringing along Jay, and he was pretty sure that his mom knew that this visit was going to be something special. "I'll start the furnaces," she said with a smile in her voice.

Jay wasn't sure how he'd managed to stay awake after being up so late, but he was definitely feeling exhausted and nauseous when they arrived at Ray and Maya's workshop. He took a deep breath and climbed out of the vehicle, joining Kai as they walked toward the door.

"Kai!" Maya yelled happily, flinging the door open and grabbing her son in a hug, "I wish Nya could have come too, but I understand why not." She turned to Jay with a smile, "it's so good to see you again, Jay."

"H-hi Mrs. Smith," Jay greeted her.

Maya and Kai shared a smile and she said, "it's Maya, dear. Or Mom, if you like." She winked at Jay and lead them both inside the workshop, the heat hitting them like a wall as they crossed the threshold.

"Kai! Jay!" Ray yelled from further in the shop. He wiped his hands on a rag and came up to greet them, hugging his son and then shaking Jay's hand.

"Nya told us what happened with your unplanned trip to the First Realm," Ray said, pausing to put his arm around Maya, "I can't tell you how worried we were... but you're here now, and that's all that matters."

"Speaking of being here, I think Jay would like to talk to you guys about something. Prepare for him to ramble," Kai smirked.

"Thanks SOOOOO much Kai," Jay fired back sarcastically. He glanced over at Nya's parents, who looked at him expectantly. "Ummm, I know that you guys know that uh Nya and I have been dating for a while now. And uh, while we were gone in the First Realm, I realized that I needed to show her how I really feel about her."

Jay paused, looking over to Kai, who nodded in encouragement. Ray and Maya smiled knowingly.

"So, um, I decided that I am going to ask her to marry me."

Ray reached out his free hand to pat Jay on the shoulder, and for a second, Jay saw in Nya's parents a reflection of the vision he had seen in the caves all those years ago.

"We would be honored if you would let us make your rings," Maya said, stepping forward to clasp Jay's hands in hers.

"We came to help," Kai said.

"I, uh, drew a design last night," Jay said, pulling a folded paper out of his pocket and offering it to Maya.

She smiled and squeezed Jay's hand. "I have a collection of gemstones that I have been saving for Kai and Nya. Let's go pick some out for her."

* * *

It was well past sunset when Kai and Jay got up from Ray and Maya's dinner table to head back to headquarters.

"Thank you so much for everything," Jay said to Maya as she hugged him tightly.

"Thank you for allowing us to be a part of this. We've missed so many parts of Nya's life, I can only hope that things will change now," Maya said softly, leaning back to give Jay one last smile.

Kai embraced his parents as Jay started up the tank, preparing for the long drive back.

"Well, we're going to be real brothers now, Zaptrap," Kai said, punching Jay in the shoulder as he climbed in to the vehicle.

"She has to say yes first!" Jay lamented.

"Pffft," was Kai's only reply, waving his hand in dismissal.

Jay smirked as he anticipated Kai's reaction to the subject he was about to broach. "So, how are things with Skylor?"

Kai groaned, "I was waiting for this. You are just like Nya."

Jay feigned offense and then laughed. "Seriously, though. Didn't this trip to the First Realm make you realize that you needed to make a move?"

Kai was silent for a moment. "She's so hard to read, man. But last night was nice. We talked about everything that had happened and she told me that it wasn't the same without me there. She told me all about how brave Lloyd and Nya had been. I think she enjoyed being a part of the team."

"Maybe Master Wu will ask her to join us," Jay pondered as Ninjago City faintly came into view.

They were silent again, each lost in their thoughts.

"Just don't take for granted that she will always be there," Jay finally said to Kai, a touch of regret in his voice. "I'm lucky that Nya and I got a second chance at this and that the timing was right and that we were both ready."

Kai sighed. "How do I know if she even wants to start something more serious?"

"You ask her! Duh!" Jay laughed, never knowing his friend to be so insecure.

Kai groaned. "Let's change the subject, man. Tell me how you're gonna propose to Nya."

"Uhhhh yeah, no clue," Jay said with a hint of fear in his voice.

Kai laughed so hard he snorted and patted Jay on the shoulder.

"It's not funny!" Jay yelled in typical Jay fashion.

* * *

They parked the tank in the garage next to the Samurai X mech and made their way inside quietly. Thankfully Master Wu had gone along with Jay's cover story for the trip and all seemed to have been quiet inside headquarters. Things were slightly cleaner and more organized in the sparring room, which they passed through on their way to the stairs.

They were finally able to have their own rooms, albeit tiny. It was nice to have a bit of their own space though, no matter how small. Kai and Jay went their separate ways, departing with a fist bump. Of course Jay wasn't planning on staying in his room, he just stopped in to change into clean clothes and to hide the beautiful rings that they had made. Then he was off to sneak into Nya's room.

Her room was slightly larger than the rest; Jay was pretty sure it was Master Wu's way of apologizing to her for forcing her to give up Samurai X to become the water ninja. Wu worked in mysterious ways.

Jay slowly opened Nya's door and peeked inside, a smile spreading across his face when he saw her. She was laying on her back, her dark hair cascading across her pillow and shining in the soft moonlight that came in through her window.

He quietly closed the door and snuck closer. He could see that his note to her had been folded up and placed on her desk next to a couple of schematics that they had worked on together before his "detour" to the First Realm.

He walked to the side of her bed and sat down next to her, taking her hand and whispering her name. It was a credit to her ninja training that her eyes popped open right after his first whisper. Her wide eyes softened instantly when she saw him and she smiled a sleepy smirk.

"You're back," she whispered, reaching up to touch his face.

"I missed you," he whispered, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"Stay here with me," she smiled, scooting over a bit to make room for him.

"I was hoping you'd ask," he smirked, kicking off his shoes and laying down beside her.

She buried her face in his neck as he pulled her close. "I love you," she whispered softly.

"I love you, too," he replied, feeling more at peace than he had in weeks.

Just as Nya was about to drift off to sleep, she realized that Jay smelled a bit differently than normal, but the smell was oddly familiar. Like smoke and oil and metal. Like her parents' workshop. "Huh. That's strange," she thought to herself, closing her eyes once again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: A quick transition chapter to tie up the story before the proposal. I'm hoping it won't take me too long to write the next chapter. Also, some bonus Skylor/Kai fluff for you.**

* * *

Jay had been wracking his brain for two days, but was ultimately lost on how in the world he was going to propose to Nya.

"You're just thinking too hard," Kai whispered to him, feigning a kick as the two were supposed to be sparring, but were instead talking about Nya and Skylor.

"It has to be perfect!" Jay whispered back, dodging the kick deftly.

"Okay look, Nya told me that she is going to be busy helping PIXAL with some repairs to the Samurai X mech this afternoon. Let's go get some noodles. I happen to know a great noodle restaurant owned by someone who might have some advice for you," Kai said with a smirk, flipping Jay to the ground.

"Good, Kai!" Master Wu yelled from the balcony.

Jay pondered for a moment and accepted Kai's outstretched hand to help him up off the ground. He glanced over at Nya, who had again launched Lloyd against the stack of training dummies. He was pretty proud of the advancements in her fighting skills over the short time he was gone.

They took a quick water break and Nya joined Jay and Kai. "It seems like the Green Ninja is no match for you these days," Jay said, nudging her with his shoulder.

"Care to take me on next?" she smiled, winking at him, "I promise I will go easy on you."

Master Wu laughed from the balcony. "I think you should take her up on that offer, Jay."

Jay tossed his water bottle aside and beckoned Nya to the middle of the room, not sure if he was going to get his ass handed to him on a platter or if it would be a more of an even match.

"Loser makes dinner?" Nya smirked, reminding Jay of Kai's cockiness.

"Must be a Smith thing," Jay thought to himself, taking a fighting stance.

"No elemental power," Jay stated firmly to her, "I'm not interested in electrocuting my girlfriend."

"Okay, deal," Nya smiled at Jay again just before striking out with a kick that he was barely able to dodge.

"All that time in the First Realm must have made you rusty, Jay," Wu grumbled, eliciting a laugh from Nya, who had been fighting on a daily basis since the destruction of the Bounty and the guys' trip to the First Realm.

Jay came back at her with a flip and a couple of his fail safe moves, hoping to catch her off guard as she laughed. He was successful for a brief second but she caught herself and whipped around to grab his arm, flipping him over her shoulder. He landed roughly on the ground with a grunt, looking up to see her standing over him with one foot on his chest.

Cole and Zane laughed from the corner as Kai cheered, "Yes, that has to be a new take down record!"

Nya smiled and reached down to help Jay up. "You're just rusty," she whispered to him with a smile.

Jay reached out to give her a hug, and whispered in her ear, "Don't say that. You deserve the credit. And I promise I didn't take it easy on you."

"We will continue this tomorrow," Wu said, releasing them all.

Jay grabbed Nya's hand as they walked upstairs to change out of their sweaty training gear. "Kai and I are going to go see Skylor while you and PIXAL are busy," he said softly to her, hoping Kai wouldn't hear him as he crafted his second cover story of the week. Jay wasn't really one for lying and secrets, but he hoped that he'd be able to come clean soon.

"Oh man, noodles sound great," Nya said jealously.

"I'll bring you some back," he said with a smile, squeezing her hand.

"Is he going to talk to her?" Nya whispered, looking around for her brother.

"Come on Jay, cover story!" he thought to himself, struggling to come up with a good enough tale.

"Uh, I think so. I've never seen him nervous enough to need a wingman," Jay laughed.

"We should go on a double date with them," Nya suggested, "it would be fun. Maybe we can take them to the amusement park." They both laughed.

"Just as long as no one turns into a snake," Jay cackled.

Nya quickly pulled him into her room while no one was watching, snapping the door shut and then pushing Jay up against the door to kiss him, catching him pleasantly off guard.

"I missed you," she breathed, their foreheads pressed together.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that… thinking I was dead," he whispered.

"I guess we're even now, huh?" she smiled.

"Yeah, I'm not interested in keeping score on that game," Jay laughed, "Let's just try to stay in the same realm for a few years, okay?"

Nya's phone vibrated and she pulled it out of the pocket in the pants of her grey gi. "PIXAL is waiting on me. Where is Zane when you need him?"

Jay snorted and kissed Nya's forehead. "You go help her, I will go help your brother."

"I love you," Nya looked him in the eyes with a smile.

Jay basically melted and found himself kissing her one last time before letting her go. "I love you too. Let's go on a date tonight, just the two of us."

"I'd love to," she whispered, giving him one last kiss as he snuck out the door.

He heard her door shut as he leaned against the wall, trying to compose himself. The secrets were killing him… he just wanted to tell her. How would he make it through their date without screwing up and spilling the beans?

* * *

Jay could definitely see what Kai saw in Skylor. She was tall and sophisticated, her luxurious red hair swept back in a thick ponytail. Kai inhaled sharply once they had spotted her. "Dude. You may be pretending that you're not that into her, but you can't fool me," Jay whispered, elbowing Kai.

"Hi guys," Skylor said, greeting them at the hostess station.

Jay noticed that her eyes lingered on Kai a bit, and for a second he forgot his nerves. After his life was all sorted out, he was definitely going to have to help Kai get things rolling with Skylor.

"Uh, Skylor, can we talk?" Jay asked, gesturing to a booth in the back.

Skylor looked at Kai curiously, who said, "Jay needs some help with a proposal."

Skylor's eyes lit up and she gasped with glee, "Oh!"

They hurried to the back corner booth, Skylor waving to one of the waitresses to follow her. "Noodles all around, and pack some up for them to take back. Oh, and puffy potstickers! And spring rolls, those are Nya's favorite."

Kai slid into the booth next to Skylor, leaving Jay across from them, subject to their scrutiny. Skylor's fierce eyes bore straight into Jay's soul. "Tell me everything," she commanded.

"He has the ring," Kai began, "show her, Jay."

Jay pulled out his phone, scrolling to a photo he had taken of their completed handiwork. Skylor took the phone from him and gasped softly.

"My parents made it," Kai said softly, leaning closer to Skylor as they both looked at the photo.

"It's beautiful," she said in a whisper, looking at Kai. They held that gaze for a moment until Jay cleared his throat.

"Um, how are you going to ask her?" Skylor recovered, her eyes back on Jay.

"Well, that's kind of why I'm here," he said, "I need advice."

"Oh geez," Skylor laughed, leaning back in her seat, not noticing that Kai had stretched his arm across the back of the booth.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Kai said, pulling his arm back.

"OH MY GOD YOU TWO!" Jay yelled, throwing his hands in the air with an exasperated sigh.

Kai looked across at Jay, wide eyed and in fear of what Jay would say next.

"Okay, you two," Jay began, trying to compose himself, "Nya knows we came here today, but she doesn't know why. I need help with this proposal, but once I'm done, we are going to figure out this situation between the two of you before I LOSE MY FREAKING MIND."

Skylor and Kai both smiled, embarrassed. Skylor's cheeks had a pink tinge to them and Jay had to laugh.

"Um, what is the most special place for you two?" Skylor asked.

"Great question," Jay said, looking down at the table as he ran his mind through years of events, "Most of them are dangerous places or are very far away."

"Or destroyed," Kai said.

"Or an alternate timeline," Jay added.

The trio sat in silence, their minds in overdrive as their noodles arrived.

"And, I hate to throw another wrench in the gears here," Jay said, stirring his noodles with his chopsticks, "but I'm not sure I can keep these secrets any longer."

Skylor and Kai looked at each other and shared a grimace. "We'll figure it out, buddy," Kai said, reaching across the table to punch Jay's shoulder.

"Noodles always help me think," Skylor said with a smile, holding up her cup to share a toast, "To romance."

"To romance," the guys echoed.

* * *

"Hi babe," Jay called to Nya, finding her contorting herself to reach a bolt on the underside of the Samurai X mech.

"Hi," she yelled, her voice muffled. PIXAL waved at Jay from her position on the top of the mech, several screwdrivers and wrenches in her hands.

Nya had been at work with PIXAL for a good four hours, so Jay dropped the bag of food on the table and made his way over to help her.

"Hi," he whispered again, his face close to hers in the tight working space, "Skylor sent you a care package."

"I'm starving, but I have to finish this. I'm almost done," she groaned.

"You eat, I'll finish. You can tell me what to do," he said, taking the tools out of her hands.

"You really are the best, you know that?" she whispered with a smile, kissing him quickly as she slid out of the confined space and happily grabbed the bag of noodles and treats.

"Did you tell Skylor I said hi?" she said, pulling the container of noodles out of the bag and grabbing a pair of chopsticks.

"She and Kai are ridiculous," Jay snorted, straining as he tightened up the last few screws on the cover plate to what he deduced was the master control panel for the mech.

Jay emerged, tossing the screwdriver into the tool box. "Okay PIXAL, give it a try," Nya called up to her friend, waving with her chopsticks.

The mech sputtered and made a strange whine before stuttering to life.

"We did it- ohhhhh," Nya groaned as the mech powered down and keeled over.

"I do not understand. We have repaired every piece that was damaged," PIXAL said calmly, hopping down from the top of the mech.

"WAIT," Nya said, handing her noodles to Jay as she hopped up from her chair.

PIXAL and Jay regarded each other with concern as they heard a clang and a screech, followed by Nya's hysterical laughter.

"Try again," Nya called from behind the mech.

This time the mech started up smoothly and hummed happily as it awaited further instructions.

Nya sheepishly emerged from behind the mech, grabbing her noodles from Jay. "I forgot the ground wire. I was, uh, distracted," she shrugged, causing Jay to laugh.

PIXAL left the pair to take the mech out on a test flight, hoping to flesh out any bugs before they actually needed to use it in combat again.

"So, where are you taking me tonight?" Nya smiled at Jay, looking forward to taking a shower and getting dressed up in normal clothing for once.

"You'll see," he smiled back, a sudden flare up of butterflies taking over his stomach.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Heeeeere we go!**

* * *

Jay nervously stood in front of Nya's door, patting his pocket for the fifteenth time to make sure her ring was still there. He took a deep breath and knocked lightly, willing himself not to run away screaming.

She opened the door with a smile and Jay definitely felt weak in the knees for a second. "You are so beautiful," he whispered, reaching up to touch her hair, which she had braided on the side, her hair finally long enough to reach past her shoulders. She wore a white sundress and matching white flats, looking deceptively tiny without her pads and weapons strapped to her body.

She grabbed her purse, which contained two important items: her cell phone and a knife. "Just in case," she said with a wink, flashing the small knife that her brother had made for her years earlier.

"Can't be too careful," Jay smirked, pulling a switchblade out of his pocket.

"Ninja problems," Nya said, pulling her door shut and following Jay down the hallway.

It was a nice summer night, so they set off on foot, strolling hand in hand toward the park as the sun set.

Jay was very quiet, Nya had noticed. "Are you okay?" she asked, stopping for a second to look at him.

He was nervous as hell, but he tried to hide it. He suddenly felt like an imposter, a child in an adult sized body. He saw her studying him, her concern growing.

"Um, I have a surprise for you, and you know I'm terrible at keeping secrets," he laughed nervously. It definitely wasn't a lie.

Her gaze softened instantly and she pulled him close for a hug, kissing him on the cheek before starting to walk again.

How he had allowed Skylor and Kai to turn this proposal into a party, he wasn't sure, but before he had left the noodle house that afternoon, a medium sized engagement party at the park had been planned.

As they neared the archway that marked the entrance to the park, the street lights had started to glow and the neon lights of Ninjago City created a colorful backdrop. "Sooooo about that surprise… I have to blindfold you," Jay said, pulling a blindfold out of his pocket. Nya raised an eyebrow but didn't protest. "I promise it will be worth it," he whispered as he tied on the blindfold from behind her, leaning down to kiss her bare shoulder before taking her hand and leading her forward.

He lead her around the bend in the pathway to a grouping of trees that had been filled with lanterns. Luminaries surrounded the trees on the ground, creating a romantic glow. Jay could see Kai and Skylor faintly and several more silhouettes that he couldn't make out. Kai gave him a double thumbs up and then snuck back into hiding; Jay lead Nya to the opening in the trees.

He took a deep breath to steady himself. "It's go time," he told himself.

Silently, he stepped behind her and removed the blindfold and was treated to an instant gasp. "It's beautiful," she whispered, turning around to face him while she took in the scenery. "Did you do this for me?"

His voice shook as he replied, "I had a little help from some friends. Would you like to dance?" He held his hand out to her and she accepted, laying her head on his shoulder as soft music began to play.

"How did you do all of this?" She asked, a huge smile starting to spread across her face.

"A ninja never tells his secrets," he whispered, pulling her close again so that he could touch his forehead to hers, humming along with the song.

"I'm so in love with you, And I hope you know. Darling your love is more than worth its weight in gold. We've come so far my dear, Look how we've grown, And I wanna stay with you until we're grey and old," Jay whispered in her ear, singing along to the song.

Tears stung Nya's eyes and she wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. She didn't know if she should laugh or cry with happiness, but one thing was sure, she was absolutely going to murder Jay if he had gone to all this trouble for her and wasn't planning on putting a ring on her finger.

He spun her around as the song crescendoed, finally letting go of his nerves for a second. Her eyes sparkled in the warm glow and he loved the way the corners of her eyes crinkled as she smiled at him.

He pulled her back as the song came to a close and stared into her eyes for a moment. "Here it comes," Nya realized, taking a breath in anticipation.

"Nya," he began, "I need to ask you a question… quite possibly the most important question I have ever asked you. Except maybe that time I asked you if you liked blue."

Tears had already filled her eyes and she sputtered a laugh through them. "It's always been my favorite."

With a breath to steady himself, he finally kneeled. Nya could barely stand, letting Jay's hands steady her. The music had faded away and there was only silence.

"Nya… I can't let another day go by without letting you know that no matter where I am on this earth, or realm, or century, or whatever, I will always find my way back to you. In all of my life, I've never been so sure of anything."

Nya was screaming with joy inside, tears now pouring down her cheeks.

He pulled the box from his pocket and opened it with a pop. Nya covered her mouth to hold back a sob, trying very hard to let Jay finish what he was saying.

"So, I should probably ask that question, shouldn't I?" He said, his voice trembling a little again. She nodded, her body shaking involuntarily.

"Nya… will you marry me?"

All that came out of her mouth was a squeal as she pulled Jay off the ground so that she could jump into his arms. "YES!" She yelled through laughter and tears.

Jay let out a shaky breath and laughed in relief. "I'm so glad this is over; I've been a mess for days!"

Suddenly something clicked in Nya's head. "That mission…" she said suspiciously, "You went to see my parents, didn't you?!"

Jay opened the box again, taking the delicate platinum ring out so that she could see it properly. "My parents made this?" Nya whispered in amazement.

"Kai and I helped a bit. I designed it… and I'm not sure what Kai did, but he was there," Jay laughed.

"It's… the most beautiful ring I've ever seen," she whispered. Jay took her hand and slid it on her finger, and they both admired the flowing lines of diamonds that lead to a large sapphire held in a tension setting.

"So, there's one more surprise. You can thank your brother for this one," Jay said, turning to the trees. "SHE SAID YES!" He yelled to the trees, causing Nya to wonder if he'd temporarily gone insane. But soon, she saw Kai's spiky hair emerge, the other ninja by his side. Master Wu followed, joined by Jay's parents, Dareth, Skylor, and finally her own parents.

"Mom! Dad!" She gasped, crossing the short distance between them and joining them in an embrace. Kai swooped in a second later to hug his parents and sister, helping to soothe Nya as she cried.

"Oh Jay, that was so sweet!" Edna exclaimed, hugging him and wiping a lingering tear from his cheek.

"Great job, son," Ed chimed in, patting his son on the shoulder.

Jay turned to Master Wu, who stood next to Misako and the other ninja.

"Jay," his Master began just as Nya rejoined Jay, slipping her arms around his waist, "Congratulations. I can't imagine a pair better suited than you and Nya. Your life together may have many twists and turns, but you must never allow it to tear you apart." He placed a hand on each ninja's shoulder and regarded them proudly.

"All right party people," Dareth's smooth voice emerged from a couple of discreet speakers in the trees, "the dance floor is open and the Brown Ninja will be spinning tunes all night long."

Skylor grabbed the mic from Dareth and added, "Grab a snack or drink from the food carts, courtesy of Skylor Chen's Noodle House." Several waiters and waitresses swiftly set up tables and chairs under the trees and rolled food carts out of the shadows.

"Seriously, how did you coordinate all of this? You are not a party planner, Jay," Nya demanded, watching in awe.

Skylor cleared her throat next to Nya, who spun around to grab her friend in a tight embrace. Kai looked at Jay and held his arms out jokingly, but Jay took him up on the offer.

"I can't thank you enough, for everything," Jay said quietly to Kai.

Kai didn't really know what to say. "I'm just happy that you let me be a part of this. Nya means everything to me."

The guys embraced one more time before turning back to check on the girls, who had been joined by PIXAL and Zane.

"I think you need to ask Skylor to dance," Jay whispered to Kai as a slow song began. Master Wu had asked Misako to dance and they were already gliding together elegantly. Zane had asked PIXAL to dance as Nya glanced over her shoulder to find Jay.

"Um, okay," Kai mumbled as he followed Jay.

"Hi," Kai said awkwardly as he approached Skylor, "Wait, did you just change clothes?" She was now wearing a flowing pair of navy pants and a soft yellow tank top, her red hair cascading down her shoulders.

She laughed mysteriously, her eyes sparkling. "Care to dance, fireboy?"

Kai took her outstretched hand and lead her closer to the rest of the dancing couples, holding her left hand in his right and pulling her close to him with his other arm around her waist. He leaned closer and whispered in her ear, his cheek touching hers. "You look beautiful, Sky."

"Are they dancing?" Nya whispered to Jay, who was watching Kai and Skylor over her shoulder.

"Yes… very closely," Jay observed with a smirk.

"Matchmaking, wedding planning, ninja stuff… We're going to be very busy, Jay," Nya teased him.

"Look out Ninjago, here come The Walkers," Jay laughed.

"They really should give us our own reality show," Nya added.

* * *

Nya rotated her hand slightly, catching the soft moonlight as it came in her bedroom window. Her ring fit her finger perfectly, the diamonds sparkling like stars in the sky. "Or maybe like lightning," she thought with a smile, dropping her hand down to stroke the muscular arm of her lightning boy, whose body was wrapped around hers.

They had all stumbled back to headquarters around 1 am, giggly from champagne and fresh air. Master Wu had promised them all a late start to training in the morning, so Lloyd, Zane, Kai, and Cole had decided that video games would be a good plan.

Jay was legitimately exhausted after an emotional day and had followed Nya to her room to spend a few more minutes with her before heading to bed. But a few minutes turned into Jay passing out on her bed while she unbraided her hair. She couldn't bear to wake him as he slept so peacefully, so she snuggled in beside him and admired her ring.

"Nya Walker," she thought to herself with a smile, as if she hadn't already been imagining it for years.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: This is a transition chapter to move us from Jay and Nya being the main focus to Skylor and Kai, but you will be rewarded with a bit of fluff at the end of this chapter!

* * *

"Tell me where your love lies, waste the day and spend the night…" Skylor sang along to the music blaring through her ear buds as she jogged through the park the morning after Jay and Nya's engagement party. It was early and she was groggy, but she just couldn't start her day without taking at least a quick jog. Her apartment was a short 5 minute walk from the park, so this was her favorite spot to run.

She smiled as she reached the bend in the path that passed by the small grove of trees they had used for Jay's surprise proposal. It was probably the sweetest thing she had ever witnessed, and she was so happy for Nya, who was the closest female friend she'd ever had; they were bound by trauma and a common goal. If she'd known what a best friend was, she probably would have considered that to be Nya.

"Best friends don't keep secrets, Skylor," she told herself with a sigh, shaking her head at herself. It wasn't as if she was keeping anything from Nya on purpose, she just didn't think it was appropriate to tell Nya her news while the girl was busy getting engaged. "Maybe today," she promised herself.

Her phone vibrated in her hand and she stopped for a second to stretch her legs and read the text message.

"I can't begin to thank you for everything you did for me yesterday," Nya had texted.

"Were her ears burning?" Skylor thought, looking around.

"I'm so glad I was able to be a part of it," Skylor replied. "Do you want to get coffee this morning?"

"I'd love that. Are you running? I can meet you at the place by your apartment in a little bit. All of the boys are still asleep because they stayed up so late last night," Nya replied.

"Okay, see you in like 20 minutes. I look gross, but whatever." Skylor replied with a smile.

"Wait until you see how puffy my eyes are," Nya replied with a shocked emoji.

* * *

The waiter sat two coffees and two danishes on the table for the tired girls and Skylor sighed with exhausted happiness. She noticed Nya's ring sparkle across the table and silently reached out for her friend's hand across the table.

"Confession," Skylor smiled, "I saw this before you did, but only in a picture."

Nya laughed, "I really can't believe that Jay asked you for help."

"Oh you should have seen how nervous he was. It was the most adorable thing I have ever seen, Nya," Skylor laughed and a couple of tears stung her eyes.

"Do NOT cry, I have no tears left right now!" Nya said, laughing as her voice tightened and she put a hand over her eyes to force the tears to stop.

They both sniffled and laughed.

"Okay, I hate to change the subject abruptly, but I have some news that I am dying to share with you," Skylor said, picking at her danish.

"And you wouldn't tell me yesterday because you didn't want to steal my thunder?" Nya laughed.

Skylor rolled her eyes with a smile, "Maaaybe."

Nya waved for her continue and picked up her own danish to take a bite.

"Master Wu asked me again to join the team," Skylor said, a touch of apprehension to her voice.

Nya's eyes widened and she smacked her hand on the table, her mouth too full to say anything.

"I told him I wasn't sure, that I needed to think about it," Skylor continued.

"When did he ask?" Nya said, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Last night. He said that he and Misako had talked about how things had gone when he was with the guys in the First Realm. I guess she told him that I had been a big part of keeping Lloyd safe and helping to defeat Garmadon. And that my powers were extremely valuable and unique," Skylor explained, looking down into her coffee.

"Well, it's all true," Nya said, reaching over to touch her friend's arm. After a long pause, Nya implored her, "Please say yes this time."

Skylor was still silent.

"What's stopping you?" Nya asked.

With a sigh, Skylor looked up at her, "I'm not sure. Every excuse I make can be solved. There's really no reason for me to say no. And I know that the warning Garmadon gave to Lloyd is reason enough for me to join… so that I can be a part of saving Ninjago."

"Is it the restaurant? My brother?" Nya continued to prod her.

"Both. Neither," Skylor chuckled.

"Have you talked to Kai?" Nya asked, leaning back in her chair to study Skylor.

"I mean, what would I even say? It's not like we're dating or anything. We're just two people who continue to act incredibly awkward around each other with no hope of ever figuring ourselves out," she said softly.

Nya got a text message and glanced down at her phone briefly, smiling.

"Okay, then let me and Jay help you," she said, "he really wants to do a double date to the amusement park. I'm not sure if he's looking to relive his moments of glory or what, but I told him that no one is allowed to turn into a snake this time."

The girls laughed hysterically, Skylor having heard the story of Jay and Nya's first date and Jay's unfortunate transformation.

"So when do you guys want to go?" Skylor asked, running her finger around the wide rim of her coffee cup.

"We have training this afternoon until about 6, but then we're off tomorrow, so we could either go tonight or tomorrow," Nya said, checking their schedule on her phone. She got another text message and smiled again, tapping a quick reply back.

"Jay says tonight would be fun. He says Kai will be tired and less nervous," Nya read with a laugh.

"Oookay," Skylor chuckled, "I will make sure I'm out of the restaurant early enough to shower and change. Should I just meet you there?"

"Hold on, let me text Kai. Jay says he's awake and eating massive amounts of pancakes," Nya said, looking down at her phone.

Nya tapped her phone screen in a blur, obviously having several conversations at once while Skylor sat awkwardly at the table in silence.

After a few minutes, Nya looked up with a smile. "Kai says he will pick you up on his motorcycle."

"Oh, you rebuilt it?" Skylor asked, instantly feeling left out of the ninja current events since Ninjago had gone back to normal.

"Yeah, I got it put back together the other day. Everyone was tired of driving the tank around," Nya said with an eye roll, "Boys are so annoying."

Skylor couldn't help but miss the experiences she'd had while she was working with the ninja, and that fact was really beginning to sway her opinion on joining up and becoming a ninja herself. Nya smiled to herself, watching Skylor's emotions play across her face.

* * *

At 5:45, Nya was taking on her last opponent: her brother. Jay was watching her with glee as she continued advancing on Kai.

"Get him, Nya!" PIXAL yelled to her, to Zane's surprise.

"You wish him harm?" Zane asked her, puzzled.

"No, I am simply cheering for the success of my sister," PIXAL said, "I have come to realize that although this group of ninja have traditionally been men, the women of the group contribute significantly."

Zane paused and pondered, "You are correct. Lloyd was protected by five women and was able to defeat his father and regain his powers. It would not have been possible without the five of you."

Zane caught motion out of the corner of his eye and glanced back to see Kai flying through the air after attempting spinjitzu on his sister and receiving a foot to his stomach.

Kai groaned loudly after landing on Cole and being helped to his feet by Lloyd. "She's a force to be reckoned with, bro," Cole said to Kai as he pushed him back toward Nya's waiting katana.

He guessed he should be proud of his sister's strength, but Kai was losing his battle and his famous fiery ego was kicking in. He pulled his own katana and went at her to force a sword battle, one of his strengths. To his annoyance, she smiled at him as she managed to whip his katana out of his hand and on to the floor. She held him at knife point and he was forced to surrender, Jay cackling in the background.

Master Wu hid his smile behind his mustache; Nya's mother had always been one of the strongest of the previous generation of elemental masters, so it was no surprise that her daughter's power rivaled that of any of the other ninjas.

"We will continue Monday morning. Please take some time to relax and meditate tomorrow," Wu instructed, slipping out of the room to leave the ninjas to the rest of their evening.

* * *

Kai parked his bike on the street outside of Skylor's apartment building. He checked his texts from Nya one last time to be sure he had the right building and the right apartment number. He climbed the stairs and walked to the end of the hallway, hearing faint music growing louder as he approached her door.

He smiled, realizing that they had danced to this song the previous night at Jay and Nya's party. His heart beat a little faster as he thought about her body against his and how he should have kissed her then. He rang her doorbell as the butterflies in his stomach went nuts. Should he have brought her flowers? Did this count as a date even though he hadn't actually asked her? His thoughts ran away with him until she opened the door.

"Hi," she smiled, the voice of Selena Gomez pouring out of her apartment and into the hallway.

He couldn't help but stare at her for a moment, mesmerized by her as usual. "Um, hi," he managed to croak.

"Come in for a second, I have to get my shoes," she said, holding the door open for him. He slipped past her, getting a faint scent of citrus that he knew was from her shampoo. It again took him back to the previous night as they danced in each other's arms in the glow of lanterns under the trees.

He stood silently in her living room as she tied her shoes, her red ponytail flipping down into her face. Kai noticed her phone in a speaker dock on the kitchen island, which was the source of the music.

A new song came on and Skylor sighed, "I'm obsessed with this song."

"Do you want to dance?" Kai said, surprising even himself.

Skylor paused for a second and stood up, regarding him curiously with her dark eyes. "Actually, yes," she replied, walking toward him.

He took her in his arms, her body feeling so familiar against his after the previous night. He rubbed her back slowly, her soft t-shirt against his skin.

She dropped her face to his shoulder, her mouth close enough to his neck that he could feel her breath. The lyrics began and Kai thought they were pretty appropriate for the situation and smiled. He could feel Skylor singing along with the song, clearly having played the song enough times to know all the words. He leaned his cheek against hers and rubbed his thumb along the back of her neck.

Skylor sighed, hoping that Kai was listening to the words of the song. The last strains of the song faded away and she looked up at him with a smile.

"Thanks for-" She began but was interrupted by his lips on hers. He deepened the kiss, touching her face, which gave her that wonderful swooping feeling in her stomach.

They broke apart reluctantly, Kai leaning down to touch his forehead to hers. "I'm sorry that I didn't do that yesterday," he said softly.

"I forgive you," Skylor murmured, curling her fingers around his shirt near his hips to pull him closer.

"Do we have to go to the amusement park?" Kai whined.

Skylor laughed, sharing his sentiment. "I think Nya or Jay would probably kill us."

Kai's phone buzzed and he pulled it out to check his texts.

"The only acceptable reason for you being late is that you and Skylor are making out," Jay had sent.

"Well, maybe they wouldn't kill us…" Kai laughed, turning the phone to show her.

Skylor read the text and smirked. "Do you think we can manage to get a selfie while we kiss?"

"I'm willing to give that a shot, but we may have to try it 50 or 100 times to get it just right," Kai feigned innocence.

"Uh huh," Skylor playfully rolled her eyes.

* * *

"I'm sure they're on their way. And if not, who cares?" Nya said to Jay.

Jay's phone buzzed with a new text message and they both looked at the screen as a photo popped up.

"AHHHHH!" They screeched in unison.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews! It makes my day when I get them!

I have 1-2 chapters left to write and then an epilogue!

Oh, and I can't tell if Skylor should be the orange ninja or the yellow ninja based on images online, so I'm going with orange for now.

* * *

When Kai and Skylor finally arrived at the amusement park, they found Nya and Jay engaged in a serious battle of skeeball. Jay was thoroughly trouncing Nya, who had refused to surrender after their "best 3 out of 5" set.

"I got him, sis," Kai winked, Nya rolling her eyes and giving in to her brother. It was really just an excuse to talk to Skylor while the boys were distracted, but Kai could think what he wanted.

"Uhhh, helloooooooo," Nya whispered to Skylor with a giant smile.

"It was better than I could have imagined," Skylor sighed.

"Fireworks?" Nya teased.

"Definitely. He asked me to dance in the living room, but in his defense, I had created a strategic playlist and was blaring it when he showed up," Skylor filled her in.

The girls heard laughter from the boys, who had moved on to the basketball free throw game.

"Speaking of needing more girls on our team, did you tell Kai?" Nya whispered.

"Tell Kai what?"

Skylor and Nya froze, looking at each other in a panic. Skylor spun around to find Kai a few feet away.

"Great hearing, remember?" He said, looking like he was starting to become unamused.

"Yes!" Jay could be heard, still making free throws and knowing nothing about their conversation.

Nya looked at Skylor with a mixture of sympathy and curiosity, nodding to encourage her to go ahead and get it over with. "Why don't you guys go chat on that bench over there," Nya suggested softly.

They walked away slowly, backpedaling into awkwardness. Nya sighed in frustration and then strong arms wrapped around her from behind. "Hello, future wife," Jay whispered, and she relaxed back into him.

He noticed that Skylor and Kai had gone to a bench about 10 yards away. "What's up over there?" He asked.

"Okay look, you cannot spread this around, okay? Pinkie swear?" Nya held out her pinkie to her almost husband and looked him sternly in the eyes.

"I promise, sweetheart," Jay said seriously, linking his pinkie in hers. Jay rarely called her pet names, so she was sure he would keep the secret.

"Master Wu asked Skylor to join the team last night," Nya said.

"Ohhh. Is she gonna join?" Jay asked, putting his arms around Nya again.

"Not sure. She's worried about Kai," she replied, leaning her head over onto his shoulder.

"Let me deal with him if he has an issue. I think I have a good perspective here considering I'm going to be married to a fellow ninja," Jay reasoned.

* * *

They sat down awkwardly on the bench, Skylor's heart beating about a thousand beats per minute. She glanced over at Kai, who was looking down at his hands. She could sense his apprehension and she wished that she'd told him when they were at her apartment.

"Well, I guess I will just come out and say it," she said softly, pausing, "Master Wu asked me to join the ninja."

Kai blew out a breath shakily, relieved that it wasn't anything bad. He wasn't sure how he felt exactly, but he wanted to know how she felt first. "So what did you say?" he replied, looking over at her. Her face was conflicted and concerned.

"Well, to be honest… I wanted to talk to you first," she said.

"To me? Why?" he asked, genuinely confused.

Skylor sighed. Boys could be so dense and this was such a weird conversation. "Um, I know that we aren't like boyfriend and girlfriend or anything, but I didn't want to make things weird for you."

She saw the hint of a smile on his lips as he turned his body toward hers on the bench. "Skylor, it doesn't matter what I want. What matters is what you want your future to be like. If you want to be a ninja, then you should be a ninja!" he replied.

She was silent for a moment as she watched the carousel horses go up and down hypnotizingly. She wasn't used to doing whatever she wanted; she wasn't used to having a say in her future.

"I hate to admit it," she said with a smirk, "but you're right."

Kai's smile broadened, "Of course, I'm always right!" Skylor rolled her eyes with a laugh.

"So I guess that means you're going to be a ninja," Kai continued, taking her hand.

"I guess so," Skylor smiled, feeling her excitement building.

"Uh, so about that girlfriend part," Kai smiled sheepishly, "Do you maybe wanna be my girlfriend?"

"What if I kick your ass? Would you still want to be my boyfriend?" Skylor smiled.

"Nya totally kicked my ass earlier today, so having another girl kick my ass would be an honor, especially if that girl were my girlfriend," Kai pulled up his shirt, showing the foot shaped bruise on his stomach.

"Oh yeah, she's scary," Skylor nodded seriously and Kai laughed.

"My boyfriend, the fire ninja," Skylor pondered out loud, smiling over at him.

"Sounds nice, doesn't it?" He winked, kissing her hand before pulling her up off the bench and into his arms for a hug. They held hands as they slowly walked back over to Nya and Jay, Kai assuring her that he would teach her how to do spinjitzu in no time.

Jay and Nya were seated on a bench near the giant high striker game, whispering to each other and giggling when Kai cleared his throat to get their attention.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce to you, my girlfriend… Skylor, master of amber and the orange ninja!" Kai teased, bowing to Skylor, to her embarrassment.

"Awww yay! You're going to join!" Nya exclaimed, jumping up to hug her friend.

"Wait, did you say girlfriend?" Jay whispered to Kai as the girls hugged. Kai nodded and held out his fist for a fist bump which Jay obliged.

* * *

"I'll come over and tell Master Wu tomorrow morning," Skylor said softly as Kai walked her to her apartment door, "I have a lot of things to figure out with the restaurant, but it will all work out in the end."

"Just be patient; everything is going to be fine," Kai said soothingly, gently tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his neck, silently willing him to come inside and stay a little longer. She looked up into his intense eyes and noticed a softness that she had never seen before. His mouth curved into a smile and he kissed her sweetly before pulling her closer.

"Can you stay a little longer?" She whispered, leaning her forehead against his as they held each other in the dim hallway.

He smiled, "No training tomorrow means no curfew tonight."

She lead him into her apartment, tossing her keys on the counter and slipping out of her shoes. Without her shoes, she was finally a bit shorter than he was, so she stood on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. He pulled her close and then reached up to gently undo the ponytail in her hair, allowing her hair to fall down past her shoulders in waves.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered, burying his hands in her thick hair and pulling her close for another kiss.

"Why didn't we do this sooner?" She smirked, her lips against his.

"Because I was stupid and self absorbed," Kai said, "and I should have called you. Or shown up at the restaurant to sweep you off your feet."

She laughed throatily, "But instead, Jay had to force you to dance with me."

"Guilty," he said sheepishly, a tinge of pink in his cheeks, "He may be annoying, but you gotta give him credit where credit is due." He paused for a second and continued, "Don't tell him I said that."

They laughed together for a second then stared at each other, not knowing where to go from here.

"Um, do you want to watch a movie?" Skylor asked, gesturing to her big, comfy couch.

"I'd watch paint dry if it meant being with you," he smiled.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Remember, Kai and Skylor have had a thing going since season 4. Also, by this point I'm guessing they are around 19 or 20, so don't accuse me of rushing anything!**

 **This ends in a little bit of a cliff hanger, but it will be worth it. I'm planning on the next chapter being the end of the story and then a fluffy epilogue. Don't worry, no one is going to die. I would never torture you like that.**

 **Thank you for the continued reviews!**

* * *

The next two weeks of Skylor's life passed in an orange blur of training, working at the restaurant, and interviewing prospective restaurant managers and hostesses. Master Wu had required her to be in training at 6 am to work to master her element and then she joined the other ninja for their full days of training from 9 am to 5 pm. Her evenings were spent at the restaurant then crashing at her apartment sometime around midnight every night.

She missed Kai like crazy, barely having had a chance to do more than spar with him during training and give him a weary hug before she ran out the door in the evening. The previous Sunday, she had slept for about 12 hours and then had gone to the movies with Kai, Jay, and Nya, only to fall asleep multiple times during the movie.

They had managed to trade text messages off and on throughout the evenings, but it just wasn't the same as getting to see each other in person.

As usual, Master Wu had given her this Sunday off like the rest of the ninja, so she had booked a full day of interviews for new staff for the restaurant. She crawled into bed around 1 am on Saturday night, sending a quick text message to Kai to see if he was still awake.

"Hey, you there?" she tapped out on her Borg phone, pulling the ponytail holder out of her hair and tossing it next to her bed. Her dirty clothes were all over the floor in her bedroom and she was beyond the point of caring at this point in her exhaustion.

"Hey Sky," he replied, passing his video game controller to Nya to take his place in the epic Saturday night battle of Mario Kart.

"I miss you," she typed, snuggling down into her pillow.

"I miss you too, so much," he replied, looking at the clock and trying to decide if he could escape to her apartment without anyone noticing. He looked back at the group and Jay caught his eye.

"Go," Jay mouthed to him, giving him a subtle thumbs up. Kai responded with a quick nod and slipped out of the room while the others were distracted.

"What are you doing?" Kai typed to her as he climbed onto his motorcycle to surprise her at her apartment.

"Laying in bed. I'm so exhausted but my brain doesn't want to sleep," she replied with a frowning emoji. He smirked, starting the bike and pulling out of the garage.

He didn't reply for a few minutes while he drove and parked his bike in front of her apartment complex. Her street was quiet and deserted at this hour, but he could hear the usual night life of Ninjago just a few streets over.

Pausing before walking up the stairs, he texted her. "Do you want some company?"

She gasped and sat up. "Are you here?" she typed back quickly, looking around in horror at her messy room and knowing her living room and kitchen were just as dirty.

She heard a soft knock on her apartment door and her heart stopped. He was really here!

"Breathe, Skylor," she told herself, "he's seen you looking terrible for two weeks. It's 1 am. He can't be expecting you to be dressed up."

She blew out the breath she had been holding and slowly turned the doorknob. On the other side of the door stood the best sight she'd seen in two weeks.

"I can't believe you're here," she whispered.

His heart melted at her disheveled appearance, clearly wearing her pajamas, her hair unbrushed and messy. He stepped inside and wrapped his arms around her, sighing as he felt her body against his.

"You're so warm," she mumbled, her face buried in his chest.

"Fire element side effects," he chuckled, kissing the top of her head and pushing her apartment door shut.

"Can you stay here tonight? I've missed you so much," she whispered, linking her fingers in his and pulling him toward her bedroom.

"Uh, sure. We're going to be the butt of a thousand jokes next week, but I will find a way to turn it around on them," Kai warned, following her down the dark hallway.

"My room is a mess because I've been so busy," she lamented.

"You should see mine," Kai laughed, looking around at her room. It smelled like her citrus shampoo despite the pile of dirty orange gis in the corner.

"Normally I'm kind of a clean freak," she laughed, looking around at the mess.

"Uh oh," he laughed, "I will apologize now for the years of misery I'll be putting you through."

Skylor couldn't help but smile at his comment as the butterflies in her stomach did a little dance. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close again, leaning down and gently brushing his lips on her neck.

"Skylor," he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers, "I should have told you this last year, or maybe even the year before." He swallowed hard, suddenly nervous to tell her his true feelings.

"Kai, you don't have to say anything," she whispered soothingly.

"Never put off until tomorrow what can be done today," he smirked, quoting Master Wu at her. They both giggled and Kai buried his hand in Skylor's beautiful hair.

They fell silent for a few minutes, Kai gathering the nerve to continue talking. Skylor silently nudged him toward the bed, pulling his shirt off and tossing it with her own dirty laundry. Seeing his clothes mingled with hers made him feel strangely tingly inside.

"Let's lay down and you can keep talking," she smiled.

Being in her bed was intoxicating, and Kai's brain swam even more as he pulled her close to him in the soft sheets. The hint of citrus, her flirtatiously curved smile, her eyes locked on his in the dark, her red hair spread out on the pillows… He could feel his heart pounding in his ears.

"I'm in love with you, Sky. So much," he whispered, his lips finding hers in the dark. He felt her arms tighten around his waist as she returned the kiss.

"I love you, Kai," she breathed, rubbing her hands across his muscular back, pressing her body against his as close as she could get to him.

* * *

The ninja were silently devouring the pancakes that PIXAL had cooked for breakfast when they heard the front door creak open and then snap shut. Lloyd and Cole looked at each other with glee and Nya sighed, knowing that some sort of macho incident was about to happen.

Cole leaned back in his chair, able to see out the doorway and into the front room. Kai was heading toward the dining room, swinging his keys on his index finger.

"WALK OF SHAME!" Cole yelled into the front hall at Kai. Kai silently flipped Cole the bird and continued walking toward the dining room.

"DAMMIT COLE, SHUT UP. HE IS IN LOVE WITH HER," Jay whispered fiercely, punching Cole in the arm.

"Ow, you jerk," Cole growled, rubbing his arm.

"Leave him alone, I mean it," Jay snarled, Nya watching in amusement as Jay defended her brother.

Kai joined the others in the dining room, definitely looking disheveled with his hair sticking up even more than normal. "COUGH walkofshame COUGH," Lloyd joked as Kai sat down across from him. Lloyd was promptly hit in the head with an apple but he couldn't be sure of the origin.

Kai helped himself to a stack of pancakes as Zane whispered to Cole, "What is a 'walk of shame'?"

"It's only a walk of shame if you're ashamed, Zane," Kai replied, pouring syrup on his pancakes. Jay tried to hold in his laughter but ended up snorting.

"And Lloyd, jealousy isn't a good look on you. Can you pass the bacon?" Kai continued, Jay now laughing so hard that tears streamed from his eyes.

"I hate both of you," Lloyd said, passing the plate of bacon across to Kai.

Zane looked from one ninja to another and said, "I still do not know what a Walk of Shame is."

Nya sighed in exasperation at all of the boys and turned to Zane, "It means you spent the night with someone and you have to come home in your clothes from the previous night."

"Oh. So Kai spent the night with Skylor," Zane commented matter-of-factly, Kai's face turning bright red despite valiantly trying to ignore the conversation.

"How many nights a week do you do the walk of shame, Jay?" Lloyd smirked.

Before Jay could fire off a smart remark that he would probably end up regretting, Master Wu's shadow appeared in the doorway.

"One should not be ashamed of finding his yang, Lloyd. Perhaps you will be lucky enough to experience it one day," Wu said, a smile twitching his lips behind his beard as he turned and walked away.

"BURNNNN," Jay whispered to Lloyd.

Nya cringed internally but didn't say a word. She knew that Lloyd must have been thinking about Harumi at that moment and that Master Wu's words had stung him more than they could know.

* * *

Nya and Kai were loading the dishwasher in the kitchen while Jay and Cole gathered the laundry hampers from all of the rooms to do a couple loads of laundry. It had turned into a very rainy and dreary day, so they were all moving slowly and pondering naps.

"How is Skylor doing? I haven't had a chance to talk to her much in a couple days," Nya said quietly to her brother.

She had never seen such a sweet smile cross his face as he turned to her to answer the question, "She's doing good. Exhausted though. She's interviewing a bunch of people today throughout the day. A couple of them are second interviews, so hopefully she will be able to hire some folks today and train them next week so that she can stop working so much."

"I think I will try to stop by there really quick today, maybe take her some coffee," Nya said, dropping a soap tab into the dishwasher.

"Thanks sis, that would probably cheer her up," he said, putting his arm around his sister and giving her a squeeze before picking up a stack of plates to put them back in the cabinet.

* * *

Skylor and Nya slipped into the back booth at the restaurant, Nya pushing the large cup of coffee in front of Skylor, who had dark circles under her eyes but a huge smile on her face.

"Tell me everything," Nya commanded, setting down her own coffee cup.

"Trust me, you do not want to know everything," Skylor laughed, covering her mouth in embarrassment.

"Oh my god," Nya said, covering her face with both hands, "I keep forgetting that this is my brother we're talking about here."

"Like I said, you don't want to know," Skylor laughed even harder and Nya shuddered, exaggerating a bit to get another laugh from her exhausted friend.

"Okay, well is there a G rated version you can tell me?" Nya asked.

Skylor looked down at her coffee with a smile and softly said, "He told me that he loves me."

Nya closed her eyes and put a hand on her heart, trying not to squeal loudly in the restaurant. "We're going to be sisters!" she whispered, reaching out to squeeze Skylor's hand.

"Stop it," Skylor laughed, waving off Nya's prediction.

"You should have seen the look on his face when I asked him about you this morning," Nya continued, "It was the sweetest look I have ever seen."

Skylor's cheeks flushed a soft pink as she smiled and continued to stare at the lid of her coffee cup.

Suddenly interrupting their conversation, their Borg phones both rang at the same time; Kai calling Skylor and Jay calling Nya. The girls looked at each other, instantly knowing something was wrong.

"Jay?" Nya answered, "is something wrong?"

"Hi sweetheart…" she heard him say, his tone preparing her for bad news, "Master Wu fell into a trance or something… Misako found him and he's totally unresponsive."

"The Oni," Nya whispered.

"It's sooner than we thought it would be," Jay replied, knowing that Nya's thoughts were going straight to the wedding that they may never get to have and the danger that Ninjago City was now facing.

"I'm on my way. I will bring Skylor," Nya said softly, steel in her voice.

"Be careful. I love you," Jay replied with a concerned smile, knowing that Nya was almost never careful.

"I love you, too," Nya said, hanging up the phone and looking to Skylor. The redhead must have had a similar conversation with Kai, as her eyes were fierce and she had stood up from the table, gathering her things to leave.

"Let's go, the tank is outside," Nya said, leading Skylor out the door.

"Postpone my interviews," Skylor shouted to her assistant has she hurried to follow Nya.


End file.
